Process of briquetting fuel



Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

PATENTQOFFICE.

PARKE. WELTON AND GEORGE H. WAD SWORTH, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE P. E. WEL'I'ON ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION O OHIO.

No Drawing.

This invention relates to a process of making briquettes of combustible material and its objects include mixing, of materials which may be economically obtained and which shall constitute an eflicient and economical fuel. ,In the manufacture of such briquettes there .are three things that are of considerable importance and which offer difliculties, namely; first, to cause the briquettes to hold their form and allow them to be handled while they are green, and second, to cause them to be reasonably hard and resist crumbling or wasteful chipping and breaking after they are dried or baked,

and third to render them substantially water proof.

The present invention contemplates the mixing of certain materials comprising the fuel, into a mass and forming the brlquettes of the desired shape from mass and placing them in an oven, submlttmg them to a baking or drying temperature to finish them.

In avoiding the difficulties above named,

' and a more specific object, therefore, is to include in this mixture a binder causing the briquettes to hold their shape and facilitate handling while green, and WhICh binder shall not interfere with combustion nor leave any appreciable amount of ash or residue, and it also contemplates the use of a binder which shall take efiect' after the briquettes are dried or baked to h old the granular substance in a concrete rigid form capable of being readily handled and which, too, shall comprise but a small part'of the volume and therefore not interfere with burning and at the same time notleave an ap reciable residue.

n orderto render the briquettes waterproof, whereby they will not absorb moisture and thus impede combustion, we include in the mixture a combustible material, such as a form of petroleum, which will at the same time act somewhat as a binder to render the briquettes more tough and unlikely to crack or pulverize.

The briquettes produced by our process comprise the subject matter of a1 application on fuel briquettes filed on an even date herewith, namely Serial 603,169. The following description is directed to the manner d. producing such briquettes, and the PROCESS OF BRIQUETTING FUEL.

Application filed November 25, 1922. Serial No. 608,841.

essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

The present briquettes consist principally of carbonaceous fuel such as coal in the form of dust or powder or particles preferably not greater than one sixteenth of an inch in size, and with this we form a binder by mixing fine coal dust with a small portion of water. For more pronounced binder effect We use an adhesive substance such as a paper pulp bi-product commerci ally known as sulphite liquor, and a somewhat larger .portion of a petroleum product, for example oil refinery residue wax, paraffine or the like, and enough water is mixed with the mass so that when mixed thoroughly it forms a substance of the consistency of workable putty. The chemical constituency of the sulfite bi-product. qualitatively comprises calcium sulfite, and sodium carbonate and organic matter in the form of cellulose,

The mixture is .then formed into briquettes preferably by causing the same to flow through an extruding machine such as a tube machine or core machine from which it flows in a continuous cylindrical form, preferably having a hollow center. This is broken into short lengths and placed in a chamber such as an oven and subjected to the temperature sufiicient to thoroughly bake and harden the mass. In the carrying out of these steps the water and dust and petroleum form a binder, effectively causing the briquettes to hold their shape while green. This water binder becomes quite effective after the briquettes are dried or baked, the petroleum content and sulphite form a very effective binder rendering the briquettes hard and nonfriable when baked or dried. An example of a preferred formula for the mixture is as follows:

One hundred parts crushed coal or coal culm, granular or from dust size to grains of say one sixteenth of an'inch; two parts sulfite liquor; three parts oil refinery residue wax and ten arts water.

It is to be un erstood that these proportions may be varied considerably without departing from the scope of the present invention. In mixing these parts we find excellent results may be obtained by mixing three parts'of granulated or shredded oil refinery residue wax with two parts of sulfite as thoroughly as possible in order to form a homogeneous mixture. This mixture should be that of a putty-like consistency and it is then added to one hundred parts of coal culm such as described, and this entire mass is again thoroughly mixed to insure even distribution of the binding and waterproofing material. Now to render this mass capable of being readily formed, we add ten parts of water and stir it thoroughly with the mixture. \Ve then have a consistency of material which may be formed into briquettes with a suitable machine. As stated, after the formation it may be heated in an oven at a temperature of approximately 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about fifteen minutes. \Vith the mixture named, the heat for this time and degree given is found to produce the best results. If heated for a considerably longer period of time, the mass becomes too dry and is likely to powder and if not heated sufiiciently, too much water remains in it to allow it to suitably harden. Also enough water might remain in the briquettes to interfere with combustion.

It will be seen that this process is simple and economical and affords a briquette which may be readily burned. 'It will not absorb moisture because of the petroleum content. The process is capable of being readily carried out because the parts may be readily mixed, and formed, and will retain their shape while green, and become very hard and tough after the heat treatment described.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. The process of making briquettes consisting of thoroughly mixing three parts of granulated or shredded oil refinery residue wax with two parts of sulfite bi-product liquor, to form a utty-like consistency, and then adding to tiis mixture one hundred parts of coal culm and thoroughly mixing it and then adding sufiicient water to render the mass capable of being formed in a briquetting machine, and setting and baking the briquettes by the application of heat.

2. The process of making briquettes consisting of thoroughly mixing small amounts of granulated or shredded oil refinery residue wax, sulfite bi-product liquor to a puttylike consistency, and then adding to this mixture a much larger amount of coal culm and thoroughly mixing it and then adding sufiicient water to render the mass capable of being formed in a briquetting machine and then heat treating the formed briquettes approximately at a baking temperature for a period of from ten to twenty minutes.

The process of making briquettes consisting of thoroughly mixing three parts of granulated or shredded oil refinery residue wax with two parts of sulfite bi-product liquor, to form a putty-like consistency, and then adding to this mixture one hundred parts of coal culm and thoroughly mixing it, and then adding suflicient water to render the mass capable of being formed, in a briquetting machine, and then heat treating the formed product at a temperature of approximately 250 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of from ten to twenty minutes.

4. The process of making briquettes consisting of forming putty-like mixture of binders and waterproofing material consisting of petroleum products, sulfite bi-product liquor or the like, and mixing this thoroughly with approximately twenty times the volume of coal culm, rendering this mass pliable by the addition of water, then forming the material into an continuous thick tube and breaking it into short lengths to facilitate ignition and combustion, and driving off the water and setting the binder by the application of heat.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto afiix our signatures.

PARK E. WELTON. GEORGE H. WADSWORTH. 

